2024’s 10 Best Car Apps for GPS, Gas & More

Probably not. 

Driving has become a decidedly tech-focused endeavor, significantly less reliant on the analog fail-safes that once defined the driving experience. Even as our cars become smarter and more technologically advanced, an expansive app ecosystem exists to help drivers get the most out of their vehicles, road trips, and commutes. 

To help you make the most of your driving experience, we’ve scoured the car apps out there to identify the best ones to elevate your driving experience. 

Here are the ten best car apps of 2024:

1.  Arrive On Time With Waze

Drivers have many map apps to choose from to take the guesswork out of navigation, including Apple and Google’s stock apps. However, we like Waze because it uses crowd-sourced data to account for the many real-time obstacles that pop up during a drive, including potholes, speed traps, and, perhaps most importantly, traffic.

While an app can’t stop traffic from piling up, it can minimize the amount of time you spend idling in an endless line of cars by suggesting alternative routes that will get you to your destination faster. Driving can be unpredictable, and Waze helps you make informed decisions based on the latest data, allowing you to navigate any traffic more easily.

2.  Find The Cheapest Gas Station With Gas Buddy 

Other than the cost of the car, fuel is often one of the most expensive parts of owning a vehicle. AAA estimates that the average driver spends $2,390 every year on gas. As anyone who has ever filled up their tank only to see a sign for cheaper gas across the street will tell you, it’s also a cost that can fluctuate significantly.

Gas Buddy solves this problem by helping you quickly and easily find the cheapest gas prices on the go. With extra features that allow you to pay for gas, plan a trip around the cheapest gas prices, and even earn rewards toward other purchases, Gas Buddy is the go-to app to ensure you always pay the lowest price for fuel.

3.  Monitor Your Logbook With Vehicle Maintenance Tracker 

Keeping up with routine maintenance, including oil changes, fluid levels, air filters, and other elements, can enhance your driving experience and extend your vehicle's lifespan. Of course, maintaining logs is often an aspirational goal that is tossed aside in the day-to-day driving experience.  

The Vehicle Maintenance Tracker app makes the process effortless, allowing drivers to track a wide range of vehicle elements, from battery life and air filters to coolant levels and wiper fluid reservoirs. When paired with best-in-class maintenance products, car owners can easily keep up with their vehicle maintenance schedules, improving performance and driving quality in the process.

4.  Remember Where You Parked With Anchor Pointer 

Forgetting where you parked can be embarrassing, scary, and inconvenient. 

Anchor Pointer is your best solution for finding your parked car. While dozens of apps offer similar services, Anchor Pointer differentiates itself by providing coordinates to your parked car even without an internet connection, ensuring that no service doesn’t mean you can’t find your car.

The app costs $7.99, which may sound a bit steep for such a niche use case. However, it’s a price worth paying to ensure you always have a way back to your vehicle, especially if you regularly park in dense urban settings where finding your car can be difficult.

5.  Know Why Your Check Engine Light Is On With Torque 

It’s one of the more unsettling experiences for drivers to endure: the check engine light pops onto the dashboard, indicating a looming disaster for your vehicle (and wallet). 

Fortunately, a check engine light doesn’t always indicate a serious problem. The $4.99 Torque app allows you to know the difference. Users will need to buy a $10-20 Bluetooth or Wi-Fi ELM 327 code reader from Amazon or an auto supply shop to accompany the app. This simple purchase unlocks a litany of useful information so you know if you need to visit the mechanic or just make a simple adjustment yourself.  

In this case, paying for peace of mind is well worth the price of admission.

6.  Find Affordable Parking With SpotHero

Whether you’re trying to reserve a parking spot ahead of an event, or looking for a quick parking spot on the go, SpotHero is the app for you. 

With SpotHero, you can identify parking options and sort by location, price, and type. You can even pay in the app, so you don’t have to deal with parking attendants or automated machines that never seem to work as well as they should. 

For business users, SpotHero can send receipts to your company’s billing software, streamlining the reimbursement process and saving users paperwork in the process.

7.  Shop For Your Next Car With Carvana 

At some point, we all start wanting a new car. Before you go to a dealer, check out the Carvana app to browse inventory, compare car specs, view vehicle photos, and more. 

Potential buyers have plenty of marketplace apps to choose from, but Carvana, known in many cities for its car vending machines that dot the landscape, offers a new approach, including driveway delivery. 

With Carvana, you can trade in, finance, and purchase a new vehicle, making it a one-stop-shop for modern car buying. While the digital marketplace is crowded with car buying apps, this one’s innovative approach makes it worth trying when shopping for your next vehicle.

8.  Keep the Tunes Coming With Spotify 

The right music can elevate a road trip — or daily commute. With the Spotify app, you have access to millions of songs, ensuring that your favorite hits and new discoveries are just a tap away. 

If you’re not in a browsing mood or don’t know where to look for great music, the platform’s latest AI-powered features, including Spotify DJ, will recommend songs it thinks you will love, allowing you to discover new genres, playlists, and artists while on the move. 

The app’s music collection is on par with its competitors (Apple Music, Amazon, and YouTube), but its broad availability across ecosystems differentiates it from these similarly excellent music apps. 

While Spotify offers a free, ad-supported tier, Spotify Premium with no ads will set you back $10.99 a month for an individual account and $16.99 a month for a family account. However, the app does offer two-month free trials, allowing you to test its features (and the tunes) before making a more substantial commitment.

9.  Borrow Someone’s Car With Turo 

Renting a car can be an expensive, inconvenient hassle. Turo, dubbed the “Airbnb for cars” by Nerdwallet, makes the process of renting a car significantly easier by allowing you to rent from an individual car owner. 

Just input your location and the dates you need a car, and Turo will automatically produce a list of options that you can filter by price, type of car, pickup location, delivery fee, and other factors. With 24/7 support, roadside assistance, and optional front-door delivery, Turo is a convenient option for acquiring a rental car.

10.  Book a Rental Car — and More — With Kayak

For people who just want a traditional car rental experience but without the hassle or confusion, the Kayak app is the place to go. 

The app compiles information from all the major car rental agencies, allowing you to quickly compare offers and book a car directly within the app. Kayak is compatible with most car rental companies, making it a comprehensive but singular solution for car rentals. 

When paired with its low price comparisons and fast search time, it’s the best choice for finding a rental car on your phone. Bonus: While you’re there, plan the rest of your trip by searching for flights, hotels, and even travel packages.

Optimize Your Drive

Whether you’re hitting the highway for a family road trip or making another commute to work, make your drive the best experience possible. 

These apps will help you get there by maximizing your driving experience and mitigating some of the more frustrating things about car ownership, like keeping up with maintenance or finding a parking spot.

Along the way, be sure to optimize your drive with products that will help you get PEAK performance out of your vehicle.